Breaksea House News

This term has taken off at lightning speed, and Breaksea is buzzing.

First, a warm welcome to Brodie, Ella, and Fletcher Sarre to our Boarding Village, we are thrilled to have you join us! A big Breaksea welcome also to Kate Carlson, who has joined us in Year Twelve from Denmark (the town, not the country!). We absolutely love having her as part of our Breaksea family.

Term Two kicked off with the Year Ten SCUBA Course, where our students took the plunge into a world of underwater adventure. Emmeline proudly earned her Skipper’s Ticket, and we celebrated birthdays for Milan Muller, Emmeline Cunningham, and Camdyn Tapscott.

Poppy Ford impressed us all by placing 3rd in the Interhouse Cross Country, while Chloe Climie braved the great outdoors on Geography Camp. We were beaming with pride as our boarding leaders represented the school at the Foundation Day Assembly. That was followed by the spirited Running of the Flags, where Chloe and Mariella sprinted with lightning speed and pride for their houses.

This week has been massive. We kicked off with the Boarding Week Assembly, a heartfelt thank you and congratulations to Chloe Climie, Mariella Somerscales, Amy Medway, Tilly Norrish, Azriel Bin Omar, Esther Barrett-Lennard, and Madi Beeck for your incredible efforts. I was so proud watching you all represent boarding so beautifully on the big school stage.

Here’s a powerful reflection that Tilly Norrish shared during the assembly:

“Boarding life is something else. I come from a farm 300 km away and began my journey here in Year Seven, like many others. Endeavour House is where I started. This house holds many memories for me, like water fights in the hallways, gossiping all night, and it's where I learned to be independent and grow away from my parents. By Year Ten, I had moved into Breaksea, where I had understood how to budget my allowances and do my washing the right way, with lights and darks.  Life in boarding is very different from life at home but also provides so many memorable experiences—Reach leave on weekends, speedway nights, beach trips, and our little Handasydes runs for coffee and ice cream with Mrs Freeman. Although homesickness does hit, you form close friendships and strong bonds with the staff who are always there for you.  Boarding has brought many changes to my life, but it’s also given me the tools to deal with them—making me resilient and hands-on with life.”

On Tuesday, we embraced the Aussie Outback dress-up theme. After school, around eight ‘day bugs’ joined us back at Breaksea for a beautiful afternoon tea prepared by our wonderful dining team. The house was filled with laughter, chatter, and a good dose of chaos, in the best way.

Wednesday brought the much-anticipated Boarders vs Day Bugs Netball match. While the final score was 14–14, we all know who the real winners were... Thank you to the dining team for preparing extra burgers for our day student guests, with all funds raised going to The Darcy Effect.

That same morning, many of our girls participated in Walk to School Day, and later, I had the privilege of watching 18 Breaksea girls represent GSG at the Regional Netball Carnival. Every team gave it their all, competitive, committed, and full of spirit.

To round out the day, Rif, Sophie, and Anne performed beautifully at the Twilight Music Concert, a stunning and soulful way to wrap up a jam-packed Wednesday.

And the fun doesn’t stop there! Next week, Azriel Bin Omar, Mackirra Williams, and Esteanne Newfield will head off to Try a Trade at TAFE, and Year Twelve ESTs will begin.

With so many activities happening, it's no surprise that in just one week, we have over 150 Reach leave requests submitted, most of them for sport, but also for Plaza trips and weekend leave. If students could please double-check the day and time they’re booking the bus for, that would be a huge help. And parents and guardians, if you’re also able to keep an eye on these details, it would make life easier for both me and our amazing team of Breaksea supervisors.

Speaking of the Breaksea team, a massive thank you to Mrs Di Franzinelli for all her hard work, much of which goes unseen but is deeply appreciated. And to our Breaksea supervisors: in the card I wrote for you during Boarders Week, I called you the listeners, the motivators, the first aid responders, the shoulders to cry on, and the loudest voices cheering during the wins. That still doesn’t capture it all, but thank you, sincerely, for everything you do.

Finally, a gentle reminder to all our girls: nourish your bodies, prioritise your sleep, and take care of yourselves. This is a big term, and it’s important to regulate, replenish, and restore. You’re never alone, I’m always here for a chat if you’d like to check in.

Keep being amazing, stay calm and carry on!

Ms Liz Stewart | Head of Breaksea House